Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian denied that the agency turned down requests from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for financial aid such as the Assistance to Individuals In Crisis Situations (AICS).

Gatchalian had this to say during the hearing of the agency's proposed 2025 budget on Monday, Oct. 14. The issue was raised by Senator Imee Marcos, who presided over the finance subcommittee deliberations.

"As far as we know wala kaming tinatanggihan kaya nilinaw namin doon kung ano yung tinutukoy para malaman namin kung ano talaga. Pero ang sagot nga samin ang lahat ng refferal ay natatanggap (As far as we know we did not reject anyone that's why we clarified there what they're referring to so we would know. But the reply to us was that all the referrals were accepted)," he said in a chance interview.

According to Gatchalian, a text message exchange between Director Norman Baloro from the OVP and DSWD Assistant Secretary Ulysses Aguilar would prove this.

"Basically doon sa thread na iyon sabi niya nagpapasalamat nga sila na yung mga referral na-accomodate (Basically from that thread, they thanked the agency for accomodating their referrals)," he added.

He also stated that they even received a plaque from the OVP recognizing them as its partner.

This matter was initially brought up by Vice President Sara Duterte during the OVP's budget deliberation in the Senate last Aug. 20.

During this hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros questioned some of the OVP's programs and noted that a huge chunk of these were parallel to existing programs of various line agencies of the government.

Duterte said that when her office endorses to DSWD for AICS, most of the time, they get declined because the referral came from her office.

"Kadalasan po sagot sa amin ay hindi pwede dahil galing yan sa OVP at kalaban yan. Minsan po, totoo yan napupulitika ang assistance para sa ating mga kababayan (Most of the time we get rejected because it came from the OVP, who is a rival. Sometimes, it's true that the financial assistance for our citizens gets politicized)," Duterte said during the hearing.

Even Senator Christopher "Bong" Go and Marcos asked if the DSWD's financial programs were being politicized in any way. Go also urged the DSWD to treat AICS beneficiaries equally.

“I hope that our treatment will be equal and don't use it for politics. Don't exploit the weakness of our fellow citizens who are suffering. They are already distressed and still they need to beg to receive aid from the government. Let's remember that it's not your money, it's not our money, it's the people's money and it should be returned to them,” Go stressed.

Gatchalian also denied that the agency was being used for any political agenda.

"Hindi nagagamit ang DSWD sa kahit anong politika, hindi na ho papayag ang ating mga career na social worker na i-risk ang kanilang mga lisensya (The DSWD will not be used for any political agenda, and our career social workers would not dare risk their licenses)," he added.